Thinking about getting my first coin graded, but maybe it wouldn't do well, can I get your input?

[Solachesis]

I've not graded a coin before, but today this arrived, it's the 2010 Russian St George the Victorious 3 rubles 1oz silver coin. 

Its had some general toning, which looks quite good, but it also has a couple of brown/orange specks, which I assume is also toning.

It had quite a high mintage, 500,000, but I haven't seen many of them around in the UK. 

My second question: conservation, is this something you can get done before sending it for grading? Or an additional service they will do?

So, would you send this off for grading? Would love your thoughts and advice, thanks! 

[Orpster]

@GoldDiggerDave

[stefffana]

Hi, 

My personal opinion is to leave the coin as it is and to enjoy having a beautiful and unusual coin. A good capsule will be enough.

I don't think spending more for grading will add a real value for a future resale .

The toning is lovely as it is.

 

[Solachesis]

7 minutes ago, stefffana said:

Hi, 

My personal opinion is to leave the coin as it is and to enjoy having a beautiful and unusual coin. A good capsule will be enough.

I don't think spending more for grading will add a real value for a future resale .

The toning is lovely as it is.

 

Thank you for the input ☺️ I might have to get a different capsule as this one seems very easy to open, it doesn't seem very airtight haha 

[GoldDiggerDave]

I'm about to do a YT video on the subject, @Solachesis I offer NGC grading and one of only a few amount of people who offer coin conservation.

You first need to understand the reasons why you want a coin grading, if it's just a case of thinking of adding value to a coin you are like to be disappointed unless you have done your own homework.

Why grade a coin?

1, Added value of course this is the leading factor with people wanting a coin graded especially modern proof coins, however if a modern coin fails to get the PF70UC grade it's highly likely it will not add any value at all, in fact it might make it harder to sell than a coin left loose in the box with a COA

2, Saleability   Yes grading coins can help make them more saleable especially if they are collectable and have lower population in the NGC and PCGS reports. Again this is based on you doing your homework......some 1/2 sovereigns are doing remarkably well for example.

3, Storage they are easier to store that having the coins in the boxes and they do present nicely, they are also good as a reference tool, I'm building a George V graded branch mint set and want to get a different grade across the set as I can use this as a visible benchmark for other George V sovereigns in my collection.

4, Sentimental reasons, some people what the coins encapsulated for a gift or might have other reasons, children's birthdays.....done this recently for one gentleman, he had 2 proof sovereigns of his children's birthdays that they had handled over the years I conserved these for him and he got them graded  (just got the results back both got PF70UC) 

In short can you buy coins and make loads of money getting them graded and then selling them at a profit...........YES!   I have done this, but I will not be one of the bozo's making it sound like you can always win and never lose.     Homework, homework, homework  you need you learn for yourself if you want to flip graded coins to make a profit,  if this is only your sole reason for dong this then you also have to accept you might be left holding the baby once the market turns and you can not sell your coins. Like I pointed out above it's not the only reason to grade a coin  and If you have any questions I will be more than honest with you.

 

 

 

 

[GoldDiggerDave]

This was my latest batch of coins for conservation.    

 

[Solachesis]

28 minutes ago, GoldDiggerDave said:

I'm about to do a YT video on the subject, @Solachesis I offer NGC grading and one of only a few amount of people who offer coin conservation.

You first need to understand the reasons why you want a coin grading, if it's just a case of thinking of adding value to a coin you are like to be disappointed unless you have done your own homework.

Why grade a coin?

1, Added value of course this is the leading factor with people wanting a coin graded especially modern proof coins, however if a modern coin fails to get the PF70UC grade it's highly likely it will not add any value at all, in fact it might make it harder to sell than a coin left loose in the box with a COA

2, Saleability   Yes grading coins can help make them more saleable especially if they are collectable and have lower population in the NGC and PCGS reports. Again this is based on you doing your homework......some 1/2 sovereigns are doing remarkably well for example.

3, Storage they are easier to store that having the coins in the boxes and they do present nicely, they are also good as a reference tool, I'm building a George V graded branch mint set and want to get a different grade across the set as I can use this as a visible benchmark for other George V sovereigns in my collection.

4, Sentimental reasons, some people what the coins encapsulated for a gift or might have other reasons, children's birthdays.....done this recently for one gentleman, he had 2 proof sovereigns of his children's birthdays that they had handled over the years I conserved these for him and he got them graded  (just got the results back both got PF70UC) 

In short can you buy coins and make loads of money getting them graded and then selling them at a profit...........YES!   I have done this, but I will not be one of the bozo's making it sound like you can always win and never lose.     Homework, homework, homework  you need you learn for yourself if you want to flip graded coins to make a profit,  if this is only your sole reason for dong this then you also have to accept you might be left holding the baby once the market turns and you can not sell your coins. Like I pointed out above it's not the only reason to grade a coin  and If you have any questions I will be more than honest with you.

 

 

 

 

Wow thanks for such a detailed response! And I think I've come across your videos on YouTube! You were clearing the fog off of a proof gold coin, and then showed some milky maples.

İ understood grading valuable and low mintage coins, and that some people like the look in the graded packages, as well as the authenticity they provide.  I've seen some plain old bullion Britannia's and eagles graded which I didn't understand, as they are so plentiful and grading it probably cost more than the coin itself.

My main consideration for grading it was because I found it quite hard to find this, it was not in stock in any of the bullion sites, and there was few on eBay, and they were mainly graded. So I felt it may be a good coin to submit.

I do have a COA for this from the London Mint Office, so maybe grading it isn't really required, but I think it's a beautiful coin, but I don't know if there are any parts of it which can be improved with conservation, or if most of its looks is down to natural ageing.

İn terms of my goals, I don't plan on flipping it, maybe I will sell it later down the line, but I'm thinking years later, if at all. I'd love to keep it in as pristine condition as I can, or get it improved if there are areas where it can be.

[DrDave]

I have a couple of coins currently being graded via @GoldDiggerDave

I don't think that they're everr going to be high value, but i kind of wanted to preserve them in todays condition. Some were proofs (silver and gold) that were without cases and COA's. If the value increases, then thats a nice bonus.

 

[LawrenceChard]

10 hours ago, Solachesis said:

I've not graded a coin before, but today this arrived, it's the 2010 Russian St George the Victorious 3 rubles 1oz silver coin. 

Its had some general toning, which looks quite good, but it also has a couple of brown/orange specks, which I assume is also toning.

It had quite a high mintage, 500,000, but I haven't seen many of them around in the UK. 

My second question: conservation, is this something you can get done before sending it for grading? Or an additional service they will do?

So, would you send this off for grading? Would love your thoughts and advice, thanks! 

 

I managed my first 50 years in numismatics without ever having a coin "slabbed" (third party graded), and personally still don't  see much point, although @ChardsCoinandBullionDealer have joinde in recently, "by popular demand".

@GoldDiggerDave has give you good advice.

😎

[GoldDiggerDave]

17 hours ago, Solachesis said:

Wow thanks for such a detailed response! And I think I've come across your videos on YouTube! You were clearing the fog off of a proof gold coin, and then showed some milky maples.

İ understood grading valuable and low mintage coins, and that some people like the look in the graded packages, as well as the authenticity they provide.  I've seen some plain old bullion Britannia's and eagles graded which I didn't understand, as they are so plentiful and grading it probably cost more than the coin itself.

My main consideration for grading it was because I found it quite hard to find this, it was not in stock in any of the bullion sites, and there was few on eBay, and they were mainly graded. So I felt it may be a good coin to submit.

I do have a COA for this from the London Mint Office, so maybe grading it isn't really required, but I think it's a beautiful coin, but I don't know if there are any parts of it which can be improved with conservation, or if most of its looks is down to natural ageing.

İn terms of my goals, I don't plan on flipping it, maybe I will sell it later down the line, but I'm thinking years later, if at all. I'd love to keep it in as pristine condition as I can, or get it improved if there are areas where it can be.

This is a great topic!  Grading coins can polarise coin collectors, some point blank don't like it where others have embraced it   I first got into graded coins just out of curiosity, I had bought several sovereigns from auction that I knew was good and I wanted to see how they would grade just to gauge my own eye so to speak.    

Understand your reasons for and managing your expectations is key when it comes to grading, I get many enquiries from  guys showing me blurry photos saying they will only submit if it gets a 70, I polity decline these people as I'm just buying grief if I deal with them, as they only want the top results and want someone to guarantee them that they will......unfortunately this is not how it works, when you submit coins you have to accept the grades you want and the grades you get are two different things .  

Your coin does not look bad at all a bit of toning, you mention brown/orange specks.....I would suggest oxidation or copper but both these should not appear on a silver 999 coin of this age imo possibly some surface contamination if it's been stored with other coins possibly or the coin could have 1 part copper I doubt it but I've never seen modern Russian silver bullion so it's possible.  

I can submit this to the NGC for you  and conserve prior to sending  if you need it.  Attached is the NGC population report for the 3 Rubles silver coins and some ebay links with sales listings for them.  There is 2 mints for this coin SP and M so it could be worth while taking time to identify which mint your coin came from.  St Petersburg or Moscow 

I did find a coa for a proof 3 robes for 2010 what is interesting is the metal content the coin is depicted with 999 yet the COA is showing 925/1000, it's possible the coin and COA are a mismatch, but I still find this interesting, wonder what your coin is 999 or 925? 

https://www.ngccoin.com/census/world/russia-federation-1992-to-date/sc-369/s3r/

https://www.ebay.com/itm/304196039315

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saint_George_the_Victorious_(coin)

https://www.worthpoint.com/worthopedia/russian-rubles-silver-coin-st-george-1761343607

 

 

Edited October 18, 2022 by GoldDiggerDave

[Shinus73]

It needs a little brother.

[Solachesis]

8 hours ago, GoldDiggerDave said:

This is a great topic!  Grading coins can polarise coin collectors, some point blank don't like it where others have embraced it   I first got into graded coins just out of curiosity, I had bought several sovereigns from auction that I knew was good and I wanted to see how they would grade just to gauge my own eye so to speak.    

Understand your reasons for and managing your expectations is key when it comes to grading, I get many enquiries from  guys showing me blurry photos saying they will only submit if it gets a 70, I polity decline these people as I'm just buying grief if I deal with them, as they only want the top results and want someone to guarantee them that they will......unfortunately this is not how it works, when you submit coins you have to accept the grades you want and the grades you get are two different things .  

Your coin does not look bad at all a bit of toning, you mention brown/orange specks.....I would suggest oxidation or copper but both these should not appear on a silver 999 coin of this age imo possibly some surface contamination if it's been stored with other coins possibly or the coin could have 1 part copper I doubt it but I've never seen modern Russian silver bullion so it's possible.  

I can submit this to the NGC for you  and conserve prior to sending  if you need it.  Attached is the NGC population report for the 3 Rubles silver coins and some ebay links with sales listings for them.  There is 2 mints for this coin SP and M so it could be worth while taking time to identify which mint your coin came from.  St Petersburg or Moscow 

I did find a coa for a proof 3 robes for 2010 what is interesting is the metal content the coin is depicted with 999 yet the COA is showing 925/1000, it's possible the coin and COA are a mismatch, but I still find this interesting, wonder what your coin is 999 or 925? 

https://www.ngccoin.com/census/world/russia-federation-1992-to-date/sc-369/s3r/

https://www.ebay.com/itm/304196039315

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saint_George_the_Victorious_(coin)

https://www.worthpoint.com/worthopedia/russian-rubles-silver-coin-st-george-1761343607

 

 

Wow, so they've only graded a total of 32 2010 St Petersburg's, and 63 from the Moscow mint? I tried to find coins more commonly seen to us, like Britannias, to get a comparative picture, but there were so many options and categories I couldn't find them haha. 

I did some digging, I believe mine is a Moscow mint, signified by the MM, opposed to the ST Petersburg СПМ I found this here: https://www.cointalk.com/threads/help-with-russian-mint-marks-required-please.185243/

It must be a real hassle with people wanting guarantees for a 70 grade, to be honest, if it got a 67, I would not mind. (I assume that's the lowest, since it only showed 67-70 on that census) To me, this would be an experiment in a sense; I've never had a coin graded and thought it would be a good experience. As someone relatively new to coin collecting, it would allow me to experience the "other side" of the numismatic journey. I felt this would be a good choice of coin to get graded, it's an interesting one.

That COA stating .925 is interesting, especially since it has 999 ag on the coin in question. 

I've attached a better picture of the "brown circle" as well as the COA I got with it. I've ordered a different capsule, as I don't really trust this one, it's far too easy to open and maybe that's why it has toned the way it has. 

The seller was also selling other coins from the same collection, in the same capsules provided by the London Mint Office, which show similar toning, so maybe it was how he had them stored, or the capsule itself.

I'm definitely interested in your conservation service, I don't know if you offer this as a standalone, and after you've worked on it, we can see how it shapes up and discuss potentially getting it graded?

On the one hand, it would be good, on the other, I like the symmetry of all my coins in round capsules, which display very nicely and can be stacked in a tube if I need to transport them. So I'm still a bit undecided on the grading of it, but I'd love to send it off to you for conservation, if that's something you do. And hey, you'd get to play with a Russian coin! 

 

[StackemHigh]

I would personally get a good quality capsule for it and leave it in that. I use air-tite caps a very good quality brand.